Have you noticed those cute little houses filled with books in your neighborhood? Varying in size and shape, by color and design, the concept is simple – take a book or leave one – with an aim to increase access to books for everyone.
The first Little Free Library (LFL) was built in 2009 by the late Todd Bol in Hudson, Wisconsin. He wanted to pay tribute to his late mother – a schoolteacher and book lover.
A few houses for books I’ve found around Fredericton
The idea quickly spread as Bol and his partner Rick Brooks built and installed more houses for books in different areas of the midwestern US.
Little Free Library, a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States was officially incorporated in 2012. Bol’s original goal was to create 2,510 little libraries. According to Wikipedia, as of 2019, more than 90,000 Little Free Libraries were situated in all seven continents, and in 115 countries around the world. Most of these book houses are found in the United States.
The houses are not without controversy as some residents have faced zoning restrictions in their communities. In North America, there’s been criticism that the bookcases have been placed in wealthier neighborhoods, with well-educated residents who already have easy access to public libraries.
The Little Free Library operates an Indigenous Library Program on tribal lands and Indigenous communities in the US and Canada. There is also a Banned Books program that distributes books that have been challenged or banned and an Impact Library program which distributes LFL boxes in communities with limited access to books.
Have you used a Little Free Library? I’ve dropped off a few books at random libraries with a wish that the next reader enjoys the book as much as I did and I always browse the titles.
